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Stephen Park (actor)
American comedian and actor From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Stephen Park[1] is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for being a cast member of the sketch comedy television series In Living Color during the 1991–1992 season. He is also known for the film roles of Sonny in Do the Right Thing (1989), Detective Brian in Falling Down (1993), Mike Yanagita in Fargo (1996), and Lieutenant Nescaffier in The French Dispatch (2021). Park's other acting work includes the role of Mike Sorayama in the Adult Swim animated television series The Venture Bros. and the role of Judge Pete in the critically acclaimed independent film Rocket Science (2007).[2]
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Early life and career
Park grew up in Vestal, New York.[1] The son of Korean immigrants, Park began his entertainment career as a stand-up comedian before transitioning into acting.
Park was a cast member on In Living Color. He has appeared in films such as Do the Right Thing (1989), Fargo (1996), A Serious Man (2009), Snowpiercer (2013), The French Dispatch (2021), and Asteroid City (2023). Park has acted in multiple films by the Coen brothers,[3] Bong Joon Ho, and Wes Anderson.
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Personal life
Park married Kelly Coffield, another former cast member of In Living Color,[1] in 1999. They have a son and a daughter.[1]
Advocacy
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"[T]he 1st AD (assistant director), in a short tirade, called an Asian-American actor to the set over a walkie-talkie with the words, 'I don't have time for this! Where's Hoshi, Toshi or whatever the f--k his name is. Get the oriental guy!' He did not even have the respect to learn the name of the actor, a veteran of 40 years."
—Steve Park, recounting his experience on the set of Friends[4]
In 1997, Park wrote a mission statement in which he called for Hollywood to portray people of Asian descent in a less disparaging light. He wrote the statement after witnessing a racist incident while appearing in a guest role on the television series Friends.[4] In his statement, Park wrote that "In movies and television, Asian characters, mostly men, are subjected to indignity and violence or are tokenized, while Asian women are exploited as objects of sexual desire. You rarely see Asian characters in leading roles that contain any significant power or influence".[4]
Park published his statement as an open letter and it was shared widely online and in the news. He reported that he faced pushback from people in the film industry for his letter but that he would continue his advocacy regardless of the retaliation he faced.[5]
Filmography
Film
Television
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References
External links
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